Sixth graders on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus spent February 18 continuing their partnership with the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, dedicating the full day to studying nature and the animals their Advisory groups will focus on this semester. 

Zoo representatives joined students for the event, which featured five hands-on activity stations.

• Advisory Group Animal Reveal: Zoo educators announced the animal each Advisory will research and support through a crossword puzzles and trivia game. Students voted online between three choices, eager to learn the outcome. The Africa group chose elephants while the Asia group selected Sumatran tigers. The North America Advisory picked manatees and the South America group chose penguins.
   
• Enrichment Activity Building: After the reveal, groups visited the Pratt Library to create enrichment items for their selected animals. Students working with manatees and elephants researched animal facts and created origami to hang near the exhibits. The South America Advisory painted penguin cutouts to display on small pegs in the penguin exhibit, and the Asia group painted boxes designed to enrich the tigers’ senses and abilities.
   
• Manatee Rescue Training: Students met with a Zoo representative in the Miller Room to learn about manatee conservation before heading outside for hands-on manatee rescue training using a working rescue truck and a life-sized manatee replica they learned how to safely transport. This opportunity allowed the students to step into the role of wildlife responders and understand the teamwork required in real rescue operations.
   
• Survival Games: The Bulldogs got on their feet for engaging survival games centered around the fight for resources and relationships between animals and their physical surroundings.
   
• Taxonomy and Animal Ambassador Visit: Students excitedly learned about taxonomy, which is the science of classifying and naming biological organisms into groups based on shared traits. Zoo staff showcased animal bones and furs and introduced several animal ambassadors, including a corn snake, pancake tortoise, dart frog and blue-tongued skink.

Grade 6 Advisories will visit the Zoo again April 22 for more in-depth study of their selected animals. To view photos from Zoo Day, visit our online gallery.

Special thanks to Bolles Grade 6 Team Lead/Advisor Maddie Lee for leading the grade’s continued partnership with the Jacksonville Zoo and to all the Grade 6 advisors and faculty who made the day possible. #BollesBartram